Sunday, September 8, 2013

Quinoa Salad with Avocado, Corn and Saute'd Tomatoes

I made this one evening, with the intent to take some to a vegetarian friend for lunch the next day. It ended up being an amazing, light, summer-y salad, that not only got rave reviews from my friend, but also my own family.

Quinoa Salad With Avocado, Corn and Grilled Tomatoes

adapted from: two peas & their pod

1 c. quinoa, cooked according to the package directions and cooled to room temperature

1 c. frozen sweet corn, cooked and cooled to room temperature

1/3 c. chopped cilantro

1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese

2 avocados, chopped (pit and skin removed first)

tomatoes (as many as you like-we're not huge tomato fans around here, so we only had a few), chopped into 1 inch chunks and lightly saute'd

For the dressing:

1/4 c. olive oil

juice of 2 limes

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

1/4 tsp. cumin

fresh ground salt and pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, corn, cilantro, Parmesan cheese, avocado and grilled tomatoes. In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, cumin and salt and pepper. Here is a tip for juicing limes, given to me by Monica. Before you slice them, pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds. When they are warm, you will be able to get so much more juice out of them! When your dressing is well mixed, pour it over the top of your salad and stir it gently to combine. Serve it fresh or chilled. It is delicious either way!